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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for supporting a bottled drink in close proximity to a user. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a bottled drink carrier apparatus wherein the carrier has a strap that can be affixed to a user""s neck or shoulder area and wherein a connection enables a bottle to be secured with a small cable portion of the apparatus that is much smaller in diameter than the maximum thickness of the strap. Another embodiment of the invention includes a connection to a belt loop.
2. General Background of the Invention
Most beverages are sold today in disposable containers that are made of plastic to be recycled after use. These bottled drink products are used for a number of different products such as soft drinks, spring water, colas, lemonade, sport drinks and the like. A number of similarly configured bottles are manufactured of glass.
During outdoor events such as sporting events, festivals, concerts, gatherings and the like, individuals typically carry such bottled drink products with them, thus requiring continuous use of one hand. In the past, there have been sold bottled drink carriers for holding such drink products so that the user can have full use of both hands. One such prior art device is in the form of an elongated strap supporting a foam insulated sleeve at the lower end of the strap. The foam sleeve has a cylindrically shaped recess for carrying a drink bottle or can.
One of the problems of prior art type bottled drink carriers is that they are cumbersome to use and operate.
The following U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,793,901; 4,248,366; 5,148,926; 5,427,259; 5,454,497; 5,577,647; D284,421; D304,890; D315,477; and D373,677.
The present invention provides an improved bottled drink carrier apparatus that can easily be carried by the user at the neck or shoulder area or strapped to a belt. The apparatus includes a strap assembly having an upper end and a lower end.
A small cable forms a connector for connecting a bottle to the lower end of the strap member. The cable portion has first and second ends, each end being connected, preferably stitched, to the lower end of the strap member, at folded end portions of the strap member.
A slide is provided having apertures through which the cable can extend. The combination of the slide and cable define an adjustable noose formed by the cable below the slide during use.
Sliding movement of the slide upon the cable changes the size of the noose, so that the noose can grip the neck area of a bottled drink despite the diameter of the bottle at the neck area.
The slide has a catch that is moveable between xe2x80x9creleasexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cgrippingxe2x80x9d positions, the slide gripping the cable in the gripping position. In order to adjust the noose, the slide is moved upon the cable when the slide is in the xe2x80x9creleasexe2x80x9d position, until a desired noose size is obtained.
The cable is preferably much smaller in diameter than the maximum width of the strap so that the cable can be made very small and lightweight. The larger strap can carry printed and/or artistic matter. The cable can thus fit very small recesses that are often provided on bottled drink products at the neck area. This small diameter cable can thus xe2x80x9cdoublexe2x80x9d as a carrier of other objects than bottles, such as sunglasses, cosmetic products, sun screen containers, suntan oil containers, food containers and the like.
The user can drink from the bottle while the strap and loop member remain affixed to the user""s neck or shoulder and the noose is connected to the bottle. The strap""s maximum width is preferably at least two times the diameter or thickness of the cable.
The cable can, for example, be between about 3 and 12 inches in length and have a thickness of between about {fraction (1/16)} and xc2xc inches. The strap has a maximum thickness of about 1-3 inches. This enables the cable to be doubled upon itself with its free ends stitched to the remainder (cable) of the apparatus. In such a situation, the noose is of a diameter of about 1 to 6 inches which is adequate to affix the noose to most drink products at the neck area of the bottle and still provide adjustability with the slide.